1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the chemical modification of single chain polypeptides by means of covalent attachment of strands of poly(ethylene glycol) PEG and similar poly(alkylene oxides) to single chain polypeptide binding molecules that have the three dimensional folding and, thus, the binding ability and specificity, of the variable region of an antibody. Such preparations of modified single chain polypeptide binding molecules have reduced immugenicity and antigenicity as well as having a longer halflife in the bloodstream as compared to the parent polypeptide. These beneficial properties of the modified single chain polypeptide binding molecules make them very useful in a variety of therapeutic applications. The invention also relates to multivalent antigen-binding molecules capable of PEGylation. Compositions of, genetic constructions for, methods of use, and methods for producing PEGylated antigen-binding proteins are disclosed.
2. Description of Related Art
Antibodies are proteins generated by the immune system to provide a specific molecule capable of complexing with an invading molecule, termed an antigen. Natural antibodies have two identical antigen-binding sites, both of which are specific to a particular antigen. The antibody molecule “recognizes” the antigen by complexing its antigen-binding sites with areas of the antigen termed epitopes. The epitopes fit into the conformational architecture of the antigen-binding sites of the antibody, enabling the antibody to bind to the antigen.
The antibody molecule is composed of two identical heavy and two identical light polypeptide chains, held together by interchain disulfide bonds. The remainder of this discussion on antibodies will refer only to one pair of light/heavy chains, as each light/heavy pair is identical. Each individual light and heavy chain folds into regions of approximately 110 amino acids, assuming a conserved three-dimensional conformation. The light chain comprises one variable region (VL) and one constant region (CL), while the heavy chain comprises one variable region (VH) and three constant regions (CH1, CH2 and CH3). Pairs of regions associate to form discrete structures. In particular, the light and heavy chain variable regions associate to form an “Fv” area which contains the antigen-binding site. The constant regions are not necessary for antigen binding and in some cases can be separated from the antibody molecule by proteolysis, yielding biologically active (i.e., binding) variable regions composed of half of a light chain and one quarter of a heavy chain.
Further, all antibodies of a certain class and their Fab fragments (i.e., fragments composed of VL, CL, VH, and CH1) whose structures have been determined by x-ray crystallography show similar variable region structures despite large differences in the sequence of hypervariable segments even when from different animal species. The immunoglobulin variable region seems to be tolerant towards mutations in the antigen-binding loops. Therefore, other than in the hypervariable regions, most of the so-called “variable” regions of antibodies, which are defined by both heavy and light chains, are, in fact, quite constant in their three dimensional arrangement. See for example, Huber, R., Science 233:702-703 (1986)).
Recent advances in immunobiology, recombinant DNA technology, and computer science have allowed the creation of single polypeptide chain molecules that bind antigen. These single-chain antigen-binding molecules (“SCA”) or single-chain variable fragments of antibodies (“sFv”) incorporate a linker polypeptide to bridge the individual variable regions, VL and VH, into a single polypeptide chain. A description of the theory and production of single-chain antigen-binding proteins is found in Ladner et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,946,778, 5,260,203, 5,455,030 and 5,518,889. The single-chain antigen-binding proteins produced under the process recited in the above U.S. patents have binding specificity and affinity substantially similar to that of the corresponding Fab fragment. A computer-assisted method for linker design is described more particularly in Ladner et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,704,692 and 4,881,175, and WO 94/12520.
The in vivo properties of sFv (SCA) polypeptides are different from MAbs and antibody fragments. Due to their small size, sFv (SCA) polypeptides clear more rapidly from the blood and penetrate more rapidly into tissues (Milenic, D. E. et al., Cancer Research 51:6363-6371 (1991); Colcher et al., J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 82:1191 (1990); Yokota et al., Cancer Research 52:3402 (1992)). Due to lack of constant regions, sFv (SCA) polypeptides are not retained in tissues such as the liver and kidneys. Due to the rapid clearance and lack of constant regions, sFv (S CA) polypeptides will have low immunogenicity. Thus, sFv (S CA) polypeptides have applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy, where rapid tissue penetration and clearance, and ease of microbial production are advantageous.
A multivalent antigen-binding protein has more than one antigen-binding site. A multivalent antigen-binding protein comprises two or more single-chain protein molecules. Enhanced binding activity, di- and multi-specific binding, and other novel uses of multivalent antigen-binding proteins have been demonstrated. See, Whitlow, M., et al., Protein Engng. 7:1017-1026 (1994); Hoogenboom, H. R., Nature Biotech. 15:125-126 (1997); and WO 93/11161.
Ladner et al. also discloses the use of the single chain antigen binding molecules in diagnostics, therapeutics, in vivo and in vitro imaging, purifications, and biosensors. The use of the single chain antigen binding molecules in immobilized form, or in detectably labeled forms is also disclosed, as well as conjugates of the single chain antigen binding molecules with therapeutic agents, such as drugs or specific toxins, for delivery to a specific site in an animal, such as a human patient.
Whitlow et al. (Methods: A Companion to Methods in Enzymology 2(2):97-105 (June, 1991)) provide a good review of the art of single chain antigen binding molecules and describe a process for making them.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,513, Huston et al. discloses a family of synthetic proteins having affinity for preselected antigens. The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,513 are incorporated by reference herein. The proteins are characterized by one or more sequences of amino acids constituting a region that behaves as a biosynthetic antibody binding site (BABS). The sites comprise (1) noncovalently associated or disulfide bonded synthetic VH and VL regions, (2) VH-VL or VL-VH single chains wherein the VH and VL are attached to a polypeptide linker, or (3) individual VH or VL domains. The binding domains comprises complementarity determining regions (CDRs) linked to framework regions (FRs), which may be derived from separate immunoglobulins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,513 also discloses that three subregions (the CDRs) of the variable domain of each of the heavy and light chains of native immunoglobulin molecules collectively are responsible for antigen recognition and binding. These CDRs consist of one of the hypervariable regions or loops and of selected amino acids or amino acid sequences disposed in the framework regions that flank that particular hypervariable region. It is said that framework regions from diverse species are effective in maintaining CDRs from diverse other species in proper conformation so as to achieve true immunochemical binding properties in a biosynthetic protein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,513 includes a description of a chimeric polypeptide that is a single chain composite polypeptide comprising a complete antibody binding site. This single chain composite polypeptide is described as having a structure patterned after tandem VH and VL domains, with a carboxyl terminal of one attached through an amino acid sequence to the amino terminal of the other. It thus comprises an amino acid sequence that is homologous to a portion of the variable region of an immunoglobulin heavy chain (VH) peptide bonded to a second amino acid sequence that was homologous to a portion of the variable region of an immunoglobulin light chain (VL).
The covalent attachment of strands of a polyalkylene glycol to a polypeptide molecule is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,337 to Davis et al., as well as in Abuchowski and Davis “Enzymes as Drugs,” Holcenberg and Roberts, Eds., pp. 367-383, John Wiley and Sons, New York (1981). These references disclosed that proteins and enzymes modified with polyethylene glycols have reduced immunogenicity and antigenicity and have longer lifetimes in the bloodstream, compared to the parent compounds. The resultant beneficial properties of the chemically modified conjugates are very useful in a variety of therapeutic applications.
Although amino acid sequences such as the single chain polypeptides described above, and fusion proteins thereof, have not been associated with significant antigenicity in mammals, it has been desirable to prolong the circulating life and even further reduce the possibility of an antigenic response. The relatively small size of the polypeptides and their delicate structure/activity relationship, however, have made polyethylene glycol modification difficult and unpredictable. Most importantly, it was unknown how to modulate retained activity of the polypeptides after conjugation with polymers, such as PEG.
To effect covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyalkalene oxides to a protein, the hydroxyl end groups of the polymer must first be converted into reactive functional groups. This process is frequently referred to as “activation” and the product is called “activated PEG” or activated polyalkylene oxide. Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG), capped on one end with a functional group, reactive towards amines on a protein molecule, is used in most cases.
The activated polymers are reacted with a therapeutic agent having nucleophilic functional groups that serve as attachment sites. One nucleophilic functional group commonly used as an attachment site is the E-amino groups of lysines. Free carboxylic acid groups, suitably activated carbonyl groups, oxidized carbohydrate moieties and mercapto groups have also been used as attachment sites.
The hydroxyl group of PEG has been activated with cyanuric chloride and the resulting compound is then coupled with proteins (Abuchowski et al., J. Biol. Chem. 252:3578 (1977); Abuchowski & Davis, supra (1981)). However, there are disadvantages in using this method, such as the toxicity of cyanuric chloride and its non-specific reactivity for proteins having functional groups other than amines, such as free essential cysteine or tyrosine residues.
In order to overcome these and other disadvantages, alternative activated PEGs, such as succinimidyl succinate derivatives of PEG (“SS-PEG”), have been introduced (Abuchowski et al., Cancer Biochem. Biophys. 7:175-186 (1984)). SS-PEG reacts quickly with proteins (30 minutes) under mild conditions yielding active yet extensively modified conjugates.
Zalipsky, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,614, discloses poly(ethylene glycol)-N-succinimide carbonate and its preparation. This form of the polymer is said to react readily with the amino groups of proteins, as well as low molecular weight peptides and other materials that contain free amino groups.
Other linkages between the amino groups of the protein, and the PEG are also known in the art, such as urethane linkages (Veronese et al., Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 11: 141-152 (1985)), carbamate linkages (Beauchamp et al., Analyt. Biochem. 131:25-33 (1983)), and others.
Suzuki et al. (Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 788: 248-255 (1984)) covalently couples immunoglobulin G (IgG) to poly(ethylene glycol) that has previously been activated by cyanuric chloride. The coupled IgG was studied for physicochemical and biological properties such as molecular structure, size-exclusion chromatographic behavior, surface activity, interfacial aggregability, heat aggregability inducing nonspecific complement activation, and antigen-binding activity. The poly(ethylene glycol) coupling to IgG increased the apparent Stokes' radius and the surface activity of IgG and stabilized IgG on heating and/or on exposure to interfaces, while no structural denaturation of IgG was observed. The suppressed nonspecific aggregability was interpreted mainly by difficulty in association between the modified IgG molecules. These results indicated the use of the poly(ethylene glycol)-coupled IgG as an intravenous preparation and also as an additive stabilizing intact IgG for intravenous use.
Sharp et al. (Analytical Biochemistry 154: 110-117 (1986)) investigated the possibility of producing biospecific affinity ligands for separating cells in two polymer aqueous phase systems on the basis of cell surface antigens. Rabbit anti-human erythrocyte IgG was reacted with cyanuric chloride-activated monomethyl poly(ethylene glycol) fractions (molecular weights approximately 200, 1900, and 5000) at various molar ratios of PEG to protein lysine groups. The partition coefficient of the protein in a Dextran/PEG two phase system increased with increasing degree of modification and increasing PEG molecular weight. There was a concomitant loss in ability to agglutinate human erythrocytes.
Tullis, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,582, describes oligonucleotide conjugates wherein the oligonucleotides are joined through a linking arm to a hydrophobic moiety, which could be a polyalkyleneoxy group. The resulting conjugates are said to be more efficient in membrane transport, so as to be capable of crossing the membrane and effectively modulating a transcriptional system. In this way, the compositions can be used in vitro and in vivo, for studying cellular processes, protecting mammalian hosts from pathogens, and the like.
Excessive polymer conjugation and/or conjugation involving a therapeutic moietie's active site where groups associated with bioactivity are found, however, often result in loss of activity and, thus, therapeutic usefulness. This is often the case with lower molecular weight peptides which have few attachment sites not associated with bioactivity. For example, Benhar et al. (Bioconjugate Chem. 5:321-326 (1994)) observed that PEGylation of a recombinant single-chain immunotoxin resulted in the loss of specific target immunoreactivity of the immunotoxin. The loss of activity of the immunotoxin was the result of PEG conjugation at two lysine residues within the antibody-combining region of the immunotoxin. To overcome this problem, Benhar et al. replaced these two lysine residues with arginine residues and were able to obtain an active immunotoxin that was 3-fold more resistant to inactivation by derivatization.
Another suggestion for overcoming these problems discussed above is to use longer, higher molecular weight polymers. These materials, however, are difficult to prepare and expensive to use. Further, they provide little improvement over more readily available polymers.
Another alternative suggested is to attach two strands of polymer via a triazine ring to amino groups of a protein. See, for example, Enzyme 26:49-53 (1981) and Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. Med, 188:364-369 (1988). However, triazine is a toxic substance that is difficult to reduce to acceptable levels after conjugation. Thus, non-triazine-based activated polymers would offer substantial benefits to the art.